


like like?

by swanmills



Series: Swan Queen Week 2015 [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 14:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4352207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanmills/pseuds/swanmills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>swan queen week day 4: mistaken for a couple.</p>
<p>Snow takes Emma's admission for something else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like like?

Emma wanted to move out.

Three adults and a baby fitting in a tiny, cramped apartment? No, thank you. Emma had had her fair share of being cramped in small living areas - and this was the first one where she had an option of moving out where “moving out” didn’t actually mean running away. She wanted an apartment of her own, a cozy one, one with a few bedrooms, one for her and one for Henry. Obviously, Henry’s bedroom at Regina’s mansion was much more comfortable, but Emma had ceased the weekly switches that she and Regina had agreed to because a) she didn’t like sleeping on the couch, her back was a bitch to deal with already, and b) Henry did not deserve to be woken up at three in the morning because of a screaming baby. He came over sometimes, but he hadn’t spent the night in over two months.

So she decided to ask her parents over Sunday dinner.

Sunday dinner was a tradition that had been picked up a few months ago; Emma, her parents, her baby brother (it was weird to think of him as Neal, and honestly, what had her parents been thinking? “Oh, our daughter’s ex and baby daddy to her son just died. Let’s name our child after him barely a week after he dies!”), Henry, and a psuedo-reluctant Regina, sat at The Charming Family Dinner Table, otherwise known as the countertop, because it was the only place in the apartment that could fit four adults, a teenager who ate like the four adults combined, and a high chair. Snow usually cooked the main meal, while Regina would come over with a dessert (though it was an unspoken rule that nothing was apple related).

This week, as Snow started making shepherd's pie (which was one of Emma’s favorites. Did she know something was up?), Emma planned how she was going to ask her parents. Compliment the food. Wait for Regina’s inevitable insult about how small the apartment was, because it was bound to happen, and then Emma would butt in and ask to move out. It was simple. Ride on Regina’s coattails. Easy peas-y lemon sqeeze-y.

It seemed like just a few minutes later that there was a knock against the door, and Emma hopped up from her seat on the couch. She quickly opened the door to see Regina, in a puffy coat and gloves to fight the December weather.

“Hi Regina!” Emma greeted, wearing a smile. Regina returned the smile.

“Hey, Emma.”

Snow came in from the kitchen, gently taking the large tupperware Regina was holding and said, “I’ll put this in the fridge, I presume?”

“Yes, please,” said Regina, who, when her hands were unoccupied, took off her gloves and folded them into her purse, which she then set down on the coffee table.

Emma chuckled and pointed out, “You look like a blue marshmallow,” motioning to Regina’s winter coat.

Regina’s nose and cheeks were red from the winter breeze, so if she blushed, Emma didn’t see it. “Not all of us only had a leather jacket for strong winter protection.” She took her coat off and hung it on the series of hooks installed in the wall, and asked, “Where’s Henry?”

“Teaching Neal how to gamble,” Emma shrugged.

Thrown off, Regina sputtered out a “What?!” before huffing and saying, “Very funny, Miss Swan.”

“Really, though, he _is_ with Neal,” said Emma. “Wanna go see what he’s doing and go bug him?”

“I’ll go say hello to him,” started Regina, who was fixing the static ends of her hair from her coat, “but I won’t relentlessly bother him.”

“Your loss,” Emma said, hooking her thumbs in the belt straps on her jeans. She sauntered over to the stairs and went upstairs, saying “Hey, kid!”, and Regina followed her.

 

Dinner came quickly after. They all sat at the counter, and Emma was swinging her legs as she sat on the tall barstool until she accidentally kicked Regina in the shin.

“Sorry!” Emma apologized, her legs freezing and her eyes widening as Regina hissed out a, “Emma!”

“Emma, you shouldn’t swing your legs when we’re all sitting at the dinner table,” Snow said.

“It’s a counter,” Emma mumbled, smushing her mashed potatoes with her fork and moping.

“Maybe if you didn’t have such a cramped living space, or we had it at my house,” Regina snapped, “we wouldn’t have to deal with this.”

Snow was about to object when Emma slapped her hands on the marble top. “Speaking of which!” she yelled. Everyone stared at her, as if to say she needed to lower her voice. She blushed slightly, and with everyone’s attention, she said, “I want to tell you guys something.”

“Oh, Emma,” Snow sighed, shaking her head. “I already know what you’re going to say.”

“Really?” Emma’s expression lit up. This was going to be easier than she thought.

“Of course.” Snow set her silverware down. “I love you, no matter who you’re in a relationship with.”

“Wait, Mary Marg - ”

“It’s okay,” Snow waved her hand nonchalantly. “You and Regina make a lovely couple.”

Four pairs of eyes immediately went to Snow.

“You think I’m dating Regina?” Emma asked the same time as Regina said, “We are not a couple!”

Snow scrunched her eyebrows together. “You mean you’re not dating? Are you sure?”

“I’m pretty sure I’d know if I was dating someone,” said Emma. “After Hook, I’ve been laying low for a while.”

“Then what were you going to say?” Snow questioned.

“I wanted to get my own apartment!” Emma answered. “I want to move out, not come out!”

Snow looked disappointed. “Oh.”

“It just feels so small,” explained Emma. She picked at a string on the end of her sleeve, looking at her hands. “And I didn’t want Henry spending the night because of Neal and how there’s not even a _bed_ here for him, and I want that for him.” Emma looked at Snow. “It’s not as if I don’t enjoy your company, but,” she shrugged. “I’m 33 now. I’m pretty sure it’s time to live on my own.”

Snow teared up. “Okay. I understand. We’ll still have Sunday dinners, though, right?”

“Of course!” Emma held up her hands. “Since when do I pass up free food?”

David smiled. “Just like your old man.”

Snow laughed, wiping at her eyes. “Anyways, let’s move on to dessert. You guys can hang out in the living room while Regina and I prepare it.” She collected the plates and carried them towards the sink. “What did you, in fact, make, Regina?”

“Lemon meringue pie,” she answered.

“Ooh,” Henry said. “My favorite.”

“Mine too!” Emma smiled at Regina, albeit, it was an awkward one after the dinner conversation.

“Now skedaddle!” Snow said, playfully, holding up a dish towel. “Or I’ll smack you with this.”

“Ah!” Emma faked fear. “Henry, David, hurry! Don’t forget Neal!”

They all crashed on the couch together, watching the Food Network, which had been Henry’s choice. Emma had thought Regina was a prissy food critic. Then she had seen Henry watch Chopped.

Emma had gotten bored after Henry started muttering about garnishes and David was bouncing Neal on his knee and talking baby talk to him, so she went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. In the kitchen, she heard Snow and Regina quietly talking.

“Why did you assume Emma and I were a couple?” Regina asked, scrubbing a dirty plate.

Snow was on the other side of the sink, setting the plates into the dishwasher.

“I know that sometimes I seem naive, but I’m not completely stupid,” Snow says. She set the last plate down and looked at Regina, hands on her hips. “You look at Emma like Charming looks at me.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Regina hissed.

“You’re in love with her,” Snow confirmed.

“Stop.” Regina’s voice grew thick. “We’re changing the subject.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Snows said, taking Regina’s hand. “It’s okay. She looks at you the same way.”

Emma felt her nose tickle, but by the time she realized what was going to happen, it was too late. She sneezed. Regina and Snow whipped their head around. Emma slowly started to back up.

“Uhh…” Fear crossed Emma’s eyes. “Sorry? Maybe it’s my allergies. Who knew pollen levels were this high up in December?” She glanced between Regina and Snow. “Anyways, I have to go do something… in the hallway… right now.” She runs out of the apartment, the door shutting loudly behind her.

Regina was frozen, staring holes into the door.

Snow put her hand on Regina’s back, gently pushing her forward. “Go get her.”

“I don’t think I can.” Regina’s voice was wavering and Snow could feel her shaking under her touch.

Snow’s expression grew stern. “Go do it or I’ll kick you out and you won’t have a choice.”

Regina huffed and left the apartment.

“Are they okay?” Henry’s head was turned towards the kitchen, his show playing in the background.

Snow smiled knowingly. “They’re fine.”

 

Emma was sitting in the hallway, her eyes glaring at the wall. Regina slowly slid down on the floor next to her, her legs bunched up, and she sat in the tangible silence for a minute or two, brushing imaginary dust off her dress. “Hey,” she whispered.

Emma jumped, having not even realized Regina had sat down next to her, and murmured a, “Hi.”

“So,” Regina sighed, folding her hands. “You heard the conversation in the kitchen.”

“I did,” stated Emma.

“Are you going to say anything?” Regina said. Emma wasn’t even looking at her. Regina could only view Emma’s profile.

But Emma quickly turned around, a barely visible smile peeking from her turtleneck, but her eyes showed how vulnerable she truly was. “So, you _like like_ me?”

Regina laughed, and took Emma’s hand. “Yeah, I _like like_ you.”

Emma tightened her grip on Regina’s hand when it was put into hers. “I _like like_ you, too.” She paused for a few minutes, before asking, “Does this mean we’re dating?”

“I’d like to try that out,” Regina said, “but only if you want to, also.”

“I want to try it out.”

“Good.” Regina exhaled through her nose, relief crossing her face. She got back up, Emma’s hand still in hers, and tugged her up. “Do you want to go have some lemon meringue pie?”

“Hmmmm,” mumbled Emma, standing up completely. She noticed that when Regina was in flats, as she was currently, Emma was a couple of inches taller. “I’d like that.”

“You better, because Henry will eat your piece if you don’t.” They walked back into the apartment.

Snow saw them enter. “Everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything is okay,” said Regina.

Emma’s answer was, “There’s still pie left, right?”

 

 


End file.
